At ABP Network’s The Southern Rising Summit 2024, Padma Bhushan Pullela Gopichand reflected on his journey as a Badminton Coach, and former All England Men’s Singles Championship.
“When I won the All England Open Badminton Championships in 2001, I reflect back and think about everything missing—no regular coach, no electricity, no stable funding, and I played through three knee injuries. Yet, I won. That’s why I decided to coach. If I could win the All England without the basics, I knew kids with potential in our country could achieve so much more,” he said.
In the session titled, “Creating Champions: Transforming Communities”, Gopichand, explained, “Many people see only the glamour of sports, but the reality—the struggles and sacrifices—is often overlooked. A few years back, I noticed some girls missing practice. When I asked, they said they couldn’t afford sanitary napkins and had to skip days each month. And these were national-level players. This is the reality.”
Highlighting the grit of Indian athletes, Gopichand said, “I see people in corporate jobs working hard, but let me tell you, no one works as hard as an athlete in this country. They bring glory to the nation, even without the resources many take for granted.”
When asked about Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the 50kg wrestling final at the Paris Olympics due to being 100 grams overweight, Gopichand reflected, “Many athletes are trained to get back up after every failure, to pick themselves up and believe tomorrow will be better. Wrestlers, weightlifters—they hardly eat and endure relentless discipline. If I were on their diet, I’d lose weight instantly. I can only imagine what she went through that night—there was nothing in her left to give.”
Reflecting on the impact of his grassroots efforts, Gopichand shared, “We started a program in Mizoram, and now we have 872 kids playing badminton there, this is incredible progress.”
Looking ahead, Gopichand appreciated the enthusiasm and dedication of Indian Sportspersons, he added, “A plan B isn’t an option—plan A has to be enough. People will tell you it will not happen, but you keep pursuing it. That’s the kind of madness it takes to be a Champion.”
The Southern Rising Summit 2024, hosted by ABP Network, India’s premier multi-language news platform, was conceptualised as a tribute to the exceptional growth, cultural opulence, and societal harmony exemplified by the southern states of India. In its second edition, this transformative summit convened on the theme “Coming of Age: Identity, Inspiration, Impact”, with the leading voices from politics, culture, and industry converging to celebrate South India’s remarkable journey and its influential role in driving economic growth and cultural innovation across the nation.